This invention relates to combination handwheels and handwheel clutches for sewing machines and, more particularly, to a handwheel clutch that may be decoupled from the arm shaft of a sewing machine by light manual pressure on a tiltable member associated with the handwheel. In a typical sewing machine, a handwheel is provided which is rotated by a drive belt coupled to an electric drive motor. The handwheel is coupled to the arm shaft by a clutching device. In many instances, a bobbin winder is provided which is driven by frictional contact with the handwheel. Since the arm shaft drives all of the other mechanisms in the sewing machine it is desirable to declutch the handwheel from the arm shaft when winding thread on a bobbin. Present handwheel clutches tend to detract from the aesthetic appearance of the sewing machine and are frequently composed of many parts resulting in a complex and costly mechanism.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a handwheel declutching mechanism wholly contained within the interior of the handwheel to preserve the aesthetic appearance of the sewing machine.
It is another object of this invention to provide a handwheel declutching mechanism of simple construction, few parts, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent through reference to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention.